Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story examines the life and work of Mark Sandman, deceased frontman of Boston “low rock” band Morphine. From his Newton, Mass., roots to his travels across America and around the globe, Sandman left an indelible imprint as one of the most distinctive musicians of his generation. Along with revisiting the "unique and sultry sound" of his music, the film explores the meaning of family through this critically praised and personally conflicted singer, songwriter, and innovative instrumentalist.
Sandman – celebrated for his unique vocals, songwriting and two-string slide bass – became a prominent fixture of the Boston/Cambridge music scene during the late-1980s. After leaving the blues-rock band Treat Her Right, Sandman went on to form his best-known project, Morphine, in the early-90s with saxophonist Dana Colley. Morphine achieved real critical success, including a Grammy nomination, and became the second act ever signed to DreamWorks Records. The band’s commercial momentum was cut short, however, when Sandman suffered a fatal heart attack on stage in Palestrina, Italy, at the age of 46.
From his Newton, Mass., roots to his travels across America and around the globe, Sandman left an indelible imprint as one of the most distinctive musicians of his generation. Along with revisiting the “unique and sultry sound” of his music, the film explores the meaning of family through this critically praised and personally conflicted singer, songwriter and innovative instrumentalist.
Since January 2009, the pursuit of Sandman’s turbulent story has led filmmakers Robert G. Bralver, Jeff Broadway and David Ferino to New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Rome. Among those appearing in the film are members of the Sandman family, Seth Mnookin (Vanity Fair), Nic Harcourt (Los Angeles Times, KCRW), Steve LaBate (Paste), Ben Harper, John Medeski, Les Claypool (Primus), Mike Watt (The Stooges), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and members of Morphine: Dana Colley, Billy Conway and Jerome Deupree.
Thus far, the filmmakers have self-financed the entire project, which is complete and has been invited to participate in more than a dozen festivals across seven countries to date. For the film to eventually be commercially distributed, however, publishing and master/synch rights must be cleared. For this reason, Gatling Pictures has decided to turn to the Kickstarter community for assistance in seeing the project to the finish line. Your consideration and generosity is appreciated!
